ABSTRACT
The International Criminal Court (ICC) provides the first permanent forum for international justice since the Nuremberg process following World War II. The jurisdiction of the Court is based on the principle of complementarity; it can only act when states are unwilling or unable to prosecute international crimes. The ICC is distinct from many earlier international criminal tribunals with its inclusion of victims and their representatives in proceedings, and reparations provided via the Victim's Trust Fund and as possible penalties for perpetrators to pay. This chapter addresses serious crimes after war date from the end of World War I, when the Versailles Treaty provided for criminal responsibility of German state officials. The Rome Statute requires, in Article 123, that a review conference be held seven years after its entry into force. This conference took place in June 2010, one year late, in Kampala, Uganda. More than 4600 state, intergovernmental and non-governmental representatives met at the Review Conference.
